This dress was a dream! I had always envisioned myself in a very romantic, flowery, blush-colored bridal gown; but when I tried this on, no other dresses competed. I am more pear-shaped, and this dress was the perfect compliment to my figure (it hid my wider hips/rear and really accentuated the smallest part of my waist). Additionally, the satin panels on the corset reflect the light so as to make one’s waist look even smaller. The corset really sucks you in and holds you together. You don’t need a bra or any extra cups put in; you don’t need Spanx (I wore a regular lace thong underneath. It’s pretty low maintenance as far as bridal gowns go!

I found this dress to be the perfect marriage (pun intended) between sexy – with the corset top/cups, classic – with the full skirt and satin fabric, and cool – as the pockets really “upped” my photo poses (and I kept some essentials in there all night so I didn’t need a purse). I’m 5′ 6″ and true size 6. So this dress is a perfect bridal gown size 10, as it wasn’t altered at all for sizing, and the perfect standard length, as it wasn’t hemmed. I wore 4″ heels, and the length was perfect.

The back of the dress came with white buttons along the zipper. I had the same buttons extended all the way down the dress to the very end of the train, which added to the dress's classic style. The buttons can also be seen when the dress is bustled. I had the straps moved slightly inwards since they came very close to the shoulders and kept falling down, regardless of how tight the straps were. They stayed up all night. Lastly, I had a hoop put in under the skirt to give it that "ballgown" silhouette that you see on the model and to prevent the satin from wrinkling.